Lush

Yesterday friends of mine and I walked to PAL - the Performance Arts Lodge - to see and hear a concert put on by PAL singers.  It was a fundraiser and just a chance for retired performance artists to get out and perform again.  Obviously it is great to support something like this but it seemed my walk there and back was different for me than the rest of the group.  I kept hearing exclamations of how lovely it is, how beautiful the little mini park - Barclay Heritage Square is - the interesting flowers growing, the glory of the fully leafed out trees.  (We didn't know the name of one of the flowers so everyone got out their camera to take a photo to do research later.)  Then coming back to the Guest House we lingered under the Styrax japonica which is in full bloom.  The scent is heavenly - tropic and sensual.   Every year it produces this euphoria for a couple of weeks and then goes back to just being a tree.

I guess the thing is; when you live in a place you get used to it.  But when you are experiencing it for the first time or in this case not experiencing the neighbourhood on a regular basis you notice AND appreciate so much more.  For the tourist just coming to Vancouver our neighbourhood might seem like a little bit of heaven.   It does to me, now, a little bit more.  Thanks then to those other sets of eyes which help me appreciate all the glory that is the West End.

In the lobby of the PAL lodge I saw an advert. for my friend Gillian Campbell - she is known as Klondike Kate and is doing a show this weekend.  www.gilliancampbellshow.com I'm going and she still has tickets. Gillian is a very warm hearted woman, she's a little sassy, puts on a great English Music Hall show with the Klondike Kate twist of feathers and diamonds.  She's quite camp and quite the show lady.  I can hardly wait!

A little bit of street scape in the next block from the guest house.

Local residents can plant their own "island" garden in the roundabouts. This one is just at the corner of Broughton and Haro. Someone nearby planted it and tends to it. Each Roundabout in the West End is different.

This is Gillian Campbell - Klondike Kate. I'm dying to see her on stage again - June 15th!!! Check her website (in the post) for tickets.